The subject invention relates to electric apparatus and to electric terminal structures and fused structures, such as used in telephone exchanges or otherwise.
Despite a seeming abundance of electric terminal configurations, there has persisted a need for improved terminal structures possessing at least one or more of the following features:
a stronger separation of opposite terminals,
better accommodation of terminal elements and fasteners, cleaning facility between opposite terminals,
standoff facility for terminal covers,
strainless one-piece construction, and
manufacturability by molding or extrusion at a balanced cooling pattern.
In a similar vein, prior-art arrays of fuse holders between such terminals and load circuits had limited capacity with vulnerability to overheating and impaired power rating.
Moreover, prior-art fuse circuit designation cards used in conjunction with fuse holders were stored in envelopes that were vulnerable to burning.
There also persisted a need for fused panels and other apparatus combining at least two of the following features:
improved terminal structures of the above mentioned type,
fuse holder arrays of increased capacity and power rating,
thermally stable fuse circuit designation cards.
Moreover, existing electric fuse arrangements often make it difficult for maintenance and service personnel in telephone exchanges and similar installations to become aware when a fuse has blown. This is particularly true when fuses are mounted high above a floor, such as at a height of some six and more feet. By way of example, existing arrangements mount fuses having spring-biased fuse condition flagging devices so that such flagging devices point away from the floor toward the ceiling when the fuse blows, and thereby are difficult to see by maintenance and service personnel.
It is a general object of the invention to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages and to meet the above mentioned needs.
It is a germane object of the invention to provide improved electric terminal structures.
It is a related object of the invention to provide electric terminal structures with integral standoffs.
It is also an object of the invention to provide fuse holder arrays of increased capacity and power rating.
It is a related object of the invention to provide thermally stable fuse circuit designation pins and cards.
It is also an object of the invention to improve mounting of fuses so that their condition can more easily be discerned by maintenance and service personnel.
Other objects of the invention will appear in the further course of this disclosure.
The invention resides in an electric apparatus having distinct electric terminals, and more specifically resides in the improvement comprising, in combination, an input power terminal of electrically insulating material, including a base of electric insulating material having a first electric terminal base portion and a second electric base portion spaced from that first electric base portion, and a barrier wall of insulating material on that base between these first and second electric terminal base portions.
The invention resides also in electric apparatus comprising, in combination, a plurality of electric fuse holders mounted in mutually spaced relationship, and a heat sink including a frame around said plurality of mutually spaced electric fuse holders in heat-transfer relationship with these electric fuse holders, and a cross-piece between each adjacent pair of the mutually spaced electric fuse holders.
The invention resides further in a flame-resistant designation card, comprising, in combination, a first data-bearing section, a second data-bearing section, a first folding crease between such first and second data-bearing sections, a shorter third section adjacent said second data-bearing section, and a second folding crease between the shorter third section and the second data-bearing section.
The invention resides also in an electric apparatus, comprising, in combination, a housing having a slot, and a folded flame-resistant designation card partially inserted in that slot. By way of example, the flame-resistant designation card may have a first data-bearing section, a second data-bearing section, a first folding crease between such first and second data-bearing sections, a shorter third section adjacent the second data bearing section, and a second folding crease between the shorter third section and the second data-bearing section.
The invention resides also in an electric apparatus comprising, in combination, a housing having a slot, a plurality of electric fuse holders mounted in that housing, and a folded flame-resistant fuse rating designation card partially inserted in that slot.
The invention resides also in an electric apparatus having a panel, a plurality of electric fuse holders mounted in that panel, a like plurality of designation pins, one for each fuse holder, with each of these designation pins designating a power rating attributed to a corresponding one of these electric fuse holders, and a like plurality of apertures in the panel, one for each of the designation pins, respectively aligned with the electric fuse holders.
The invention resides also in an electric apparatus having a panel structure mounted above a floor, and more specifically resides in the improvement comprising, in combination, a plurality of electric fuse holders mounted in that panel structure, and a plurality of electric fuses, one in each of the plurality of electric fuse holders; substantially each of the electric fuses having a spring-biased fuse condition flagging device pointing toward the floor in a blown condition of that electric fuse.
The invention resides also in an electric apparatus having distinct electric terminals, and more specifically resides in the improvement comprising, in combination, a standoff at the electric terminals, a removable terminal cover on a top of that standoff, a terminal cover fastener on top of that standoff, and a keyhole slot for the fastener in the removable terminal cover.
The invention moreover resides in an electric apparatus having a panel structure, and more specifically resides in the improvement comprising, in combination, a pair of spaced ground terminals on that panel structure, and a ground wiring device having a lug with two apertures corresponding to that pair of spaced ground terminals and attached with that pair of spaced ground terminals through these two apertures to the panel structure.